Three position electric switch with aligned contact bearing surfaces



July 20, 1965 H. w. BROWN THREE POSITION ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH ALIGNED CONTACT BEARING SURFACES Filed Aug. 22, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 20, 1965 H. w. BROWN THREE POSITION ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH ALIGNED CONTACT BEARING SURFACES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22. 1961 MAW) 1% SIW July 20, 1965 H. w. BROWN 3,196,220

THREE PQSITIQN ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH ALIGNED CONTACT BEARING SURFACES Filed Aug. 22. 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 88 78 72 36 82 7 1| II (I J 80 86 II III July 20, 1965 H. w. BROWN 3,196,220

THREE POSITION ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH ALIGNED CONTACT BEARING SURFACES Filed Aug. 22, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 yaw/w W shaman tfix 7 1 SWmwg;

H. W. BROWN N ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH ALIGNED TACI BEARING SURFACES July 20, 1965 THREE POSITIO con Filed Aug. 22-, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 20, 1965 H. w. BROWN 3,

THREE POSITION ELECTRIC TCH WITH ALIGNED CONTACT BEARIN URFACES Filed Aug. 22, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Mm S MX-w w am SYWW United States Patent ALEGNED (IQNTACT hEARlNG Harry W. Brown, Mulrwonago, Wis, assignor to (Gutier- Hammer, inc, Milwauiree, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 22, 1961, ger. No. 133,1ii7 4 (til. Nil-6) This invention relates to improvements in electric switches and particularly, to single pole alternating current controlling switches for effecting sequential or simultaneous switch functions.

There is a need for a single pole alternating curre switch capable of controlling two independent loads in equential or simultaneous relation. This is particularly important in the air conditioning field, where a fan would be turned on alone and then the compressor or a fan and compressor would be turned on simultaneously, but the compressor could never be turned on alone. Also in the movie or slide projector field where circuits are often desired to turn on the projector fan alone, then the pro jector light or the fan and projector light together, but never the projector light alone. In each instance the switching requirement is necessary in order to safeguard the life of the system.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an alternating current switch for efiecting sequential or simultaneous switch functions.

This object is accomplished by mounting a pole ember in a housing to rock on a common contact so that it electrically engages only the common contact when in an off center or neutral position. A toggle or rocker type operator is used to rock the pole from the ofi center position into electrical engagement with fixed contacts in the housing. The pole may be a single or double unit and is closed with the fixed contacts to effect a sequential closing with the contacts. When a double pole member is used, simultaneous closing of the pole with the contacts can be etiected by a single movement of the pole member.

Other objects and advantages will he pointed out in, or be apparent from, the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the three embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

FEGURE 1 is a side view of the switch in section with one contact closed;

PEG. 2 is a side view similar to PEG. 1 with both contacts closed;

FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 with both contacts open;

FIG. 4- is a perspective view of one of the stationar contacts;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the bridge and contactors;

PEG. 6 is a Side view of a modified type switch for simultaneous closing of two switch contacts;

PEG. 7 is a side view similar to PEG. 6 with both switch contacts open;

FiG. 8 is an exploded view of the contactons for the modified switch;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a second modification in which a single pole member is used to sequentially actuate the switches;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 with one contact closed;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to PEG. 9 with both contacts closed; and

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the switch blade and first contact.

Referring to the drawings in detail, specifically FIGS. 1 through 5, a sequential operating switch having an insulating base lid is shown with a toggle type rocker switch 12 (partially shown) mounted for reciprocal motion above Bibbi t Patented July 2%, 1955 A plunger 24 is positioned within a recess 16 in the rocirer switch and is biased by a compression spring 18 into engagement with a two piece pole 29. The rocker rotated back and forth with respect to the base to rock the pole into and out of engagement with contacts 22 and The pole is mounted for rocking motion on an L-shaped bridge member as which is secured to spade terminal 23 by rivet 3d. The pole is divided into an upper contactor 32 and a lower contactor 35 mounted in an overlapped relation on the bridge member. The lower contactor is punched and stamped from a strip of sheet metal and mounted to rock on the vertical portion of the bridge with tabs aligned with notches 38 on either side of the contactor to hold the lower contactor on the bridge. A contact disc is secured to one end of the lower contactor for engagement with stationary contact 22 which is mounted on the inside surface or" a U-shaped member The U-shaped member has a finger 4-6 which projects through an opening in the base and is bent to hold a spade terminal and provide an electrical connection between the terminal and the stationary contact.

The upper contactor overlaps a portion of the lower contactor and is mounted to pivot on the end of the lower contactor with tabs 52 being bent eward from the lower contactor to engage notches Ed on e. 161 side of the upper contactor to hold the upper contactor in position. A contact disc 55 is secured to the under surface of the contactor to engage stationary contact 24 which is secured to EEG. in the ofi position, the contact di cs are disenaged from the contacts with the lower contactor resting insulator 6S and the plunger is moved to the extreme eft.

Counterclockwise rotation of the plunger to a verc .1 position will rock the contactors on the vertical pordisc into engage rent with stationary contact 22 and completing a circuit from spade terminal to spade terminal The plunger will seat within the concave portion of the upper contactor. Further rotation of the plunger to the extreme right (FIG. 2) will rotate the upper contactor about the end of the lower contactor until contact disc engages stationary contact 24. A circuit th n will be completed from terminal 2% to terminal 69. This arrangement thus provides for sequential closing of the switc es with a single switch actuator.

in FEGS. 6, 7 and 8 the pole member 7t) has been modified to effect a simultaneous closing of the two circuits with the same base and stationary contact structure as numbered above. The pole member is divided into an upper contactor 72 and a lower contactor 74 mounted to rock on the L-shaped bridge 25. The lower contactor has a contact disc '7 secured to one end of the contactor and a pair of tabs '78 bent upward at the other end. Notches are provided on either side of the contactor for alignment with tabs on the bridge. The upper contactor has a contact disc 32 secured to one end and notches 86 for alignment with tabs '78 on the lower contactor. An inverted V section is stamped into the upper contactor to provide a positive detent action on plunger 1 when moving the switch from an on to an ofi? position. In the off position, the lower contactor will rest against an insulating block 9% mounted on the U-shaped contact. Rotation of the plunger from the left to the right will depress the plunger into the recess as it :rides over the V section 88 building up a compressive force in spring 13. Pressing the plunger over the V section will snap the pole contacts "26 and 82 into engagethe actuator is in the position shown in FIG. 6.

'ment with a notch 47 in the blade.

'ment with the stationary contacts 22 and 24. Thus a rapid and positive switch action is accomplished in a small movement of the plunger. As seen in FIG. 8, the lower contactor is bent approximately six degrees upward from a line 91. The upper contactor is also .bent approximately six degrees upward from a line 92. When the upper contactor is placed on the lower contactor, a small gap 94 will open up between the contactors when Any Wear which may occur between the contactors will be compensated for by the gap 94 assuring a longer operating life for the switch. This is accomplished due to the two piece pole member and the displacing of the pivot point for the upper contactor to a point between the pivot for the lower contactor and the point of application of force from the actuator. The lower contactor will thus be free to rock about the bridge until it engages contact 22 or until it engages the bent portion of the upper contactor.

In FIGS. 9 through 12 a modified switch is shown in which a single rocker blade 75 is used to effect a sequential closing With first and second contacts 71 and 73. The base structure and the rocker switch are the same as above. The blade is bent at its center to form a flat section '77 and a tapered section 79, the latter of which carries a contact disc 81. A common contact 69 is secured to spade terminal 67 by rivet 65. The common contact is provided with parallel flanges 63, one of which has an extension 61 having a V section 51. A vertical projection 49 is centrally located in the V section for align- When the blade is heldin the open position (FIG. 9), the fiat section will rest solely on the flanges of the common contact.

The first contact is secured to spade terminal '7 by rivet 55 and has an upstanding V section 53 which is positioned opposite V section 51 to form a rocking sur-- face for the blade. The first contact is positioned in a notch 59 so that the upper portion of the V section is lower than the upper surface of the flanges and will not engage the blade when it is held in the open position. When the blade is rocked to the central position (FIG. 10), the bend in the blade will rest on the two V sections, completing a circuit from the common contact through the blade to the first contact.

The second contact is secured to spade terminal 433 by rivet 41 and is positioned to engage the contact disc on the tapered section of the blade. When the bladeis rocked into engagement with the second contact (FIG. 11), the contact disc will rest on the second contact and on the V sections 51 and 53. A circuit will then be completed from the common contact through the blade to both the first and second contacts.

Although but three embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: i

1. In an electric switch, in combination, an insulating base, 1 cans for completing and interrupting circuits comprising a common contact secured to said base, first and second contacts secured to said base and spaced from said common contact and each other, said common and said first contacts each having bearing surfaces which are in spaced apart, alined relation with those of the other, and a contactor longitudinally rockable onto said bearing surfaces from a non-circuit completing position in contact with said common contact only to a first circuit completing position in engagement with said common and said first contacts, said contactor being further longitudinally rockable on said bearing surfaces from said first circuit completing position to a second circuit completing position in engagement with all three of said contacts.

2. A switch according to claim 1, wherein said contactor is V-shaped and said common and first contact bearing surfaces are V-shaped.

3. A switch according to claim 2, wherein said contactor and common contact have complemental interfitting portions restricting said contactor against any substantial longitudinal movement in said switch as it rocks as aforestated.

4. A switch according to claim 1, wherein said common contact has transversely spaced coplanar surfaces which are engaged by said contactor in its inoperative position and wherein the bearing surface of said common contact is integral with and an extension of one of said coplanar surfaces.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,085,217 6/37 Hart 20068 2,203,555 6/40 Von Hoorn.

2,927,983 3/60 Brown 200-67 2,936,347 5/60 Larkin 20067 X 3,022,394 2/62 Grotz 200-68 3,031,547 4/62 Sorenson 20067 3,117,197 1/64 Carling et al. 20067 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Acting Primary Examiner.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Examiner. 

1. IN AN ELECTRIC SWITCH, IN COMBINATION, AN INSULATING BASE, MEANS FOR COMPLETING AND INTERRUPTING CIRCUITS COMPRISING A COMMON CONTACT SECURED TO SAID BASE, FIRST AND SECOND CONTACTS SECURED TO SAID BASE AND SPACED FROM SAID COMMON CONTACT AND EACH OTHER, SAID COMMON AND SAID FIRST CONTACTS EACH HAVING BEARING SURFACES WHICH ARE IN SPACED APART, ALINED RELATION WITH THOSE OF THE OTHER, AND A CONTACTOR LONGITUDINALLY ROCKABLE ONTO SAID BEARING SURFACES FROM A NON-CIRCUIT COMPLETING POSITION IN CONTACT WITH SAID COMMON CONTACT ONLY TO A FIRST CIRCUIT COMPLETING POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COMMON AND SAID FIRST CONTACTS, SAID CONTACTOR BEING FURTHER LONGITU- 